[druncan]

Well, it started at the Stingray. A quick chat to Nic over a beer out the front. An OK sort of a band doing a late sound check, the usual corporates catching a quickie before their fish and chips. Then back to the BarFly HQ and a warm beer and a text to Trav who's working tonight. Then to the Victorian Rose, doing a solid sort of a trade but not quite the Vic of yester-year - but that's gonna change by the sound of it. Louie Bragg playing some numbers to the crowd parked up out the front. Meet Trav inside where I sup a new Mac's Golden Bay bitter, made in Stoke and nothing to do with the Bay but hey, you Aucklanders will love it (a nice drop actually). A quick chat to Armod about the future of TBF. Trav seems to have a lot of breaks but then he is the inside going out. I keep half an eye on the Highlanders and the Reds. Trav gets back to work and Armod's off home. I talk to Mike (I think) from Dunedin about snowboarding - he's been up the lake a bit and knows Will Kahl, and of course Jake the Snake (from up the Lake). Frase turns up and we move out the front with Trav and finish our beers with Nic W from the Stingray. We move across the way to BarDelicious and I exchange texts with some random creep from Palmy... no I don't have pxt (he though I was a chick). We down some Hoegaarden... not my kinda drop... and talk to BarD manager Steve about shooting a Podcast there on Tuesday. He seems a good sort of a guy - knows his stuff. And there we go, Trav heads back to work and I head home for a bowl of beans. Three out of five flies - nothing too interesting but hardly offensive. Good to get out and about in Nelson.

[druncan]

Here's take two... late arvo beers in the sun at the Stingray. Once again, a solid sort of a crowd, a bunch of suits looking slightly uncomfortable in the corner. A good chat to Hayden about how he got to where he is via Iraq - make a good story. A yarn with Louie Love about audio gear and music videos. Go Louie. A bit of a gas-bag with Nic W about secret plans and clever tricks. Podcast on Sunday has been canned so we were looking at Plan Bs... but nothing concrete yet. After a couple round 'o jugs I'm off to the Vic for a quick Golden Bay Bitter - that's a great drop - and a yarn to Trav. Louie B is out the font jamming 'Copperhead Road' which is the back of mind the rest of the night.
Plan B for the podcast takes shape so Fraser and I charge around to the Oyster. Nick D is doing a great trade, the place is packed (the Oyster looks packed with 12 people in it). We sit out the front and yarn with Nic W about some 'insider knowledge' (this is his home-away-from-home). Back round to the Stingray for a quick brew with Nic W (on the other side of the bar now). The beer is starting to take hold... I can't believe the podcast has been canned for the millionth time... arghh...
Up the hill to a mate's place for a drunken run around and a climb to a tree house in the dark with her kids. Then off to the Scottish restaurant for the third time in ten years. It wasn't quite as revolting as I remember it. And then to 'Lower Stoke' to check out Hayden's new pad. Not too bad... nice and big. So we sit out the back in the dark and talk business and plans, a bit of cricket but not cars and chicks.
Back to the Shed after a Monteith's for an early rise to see the Black Caps take out the Poms. Lovely.

[druncan]

And take 3... a late arvo bit of Golden Bay bitter at the Vic with Hayd. We discuss the newest podcast Frase and I have only just finished editing. He likes it - of course he does. Trav turns up for work and really wants to see Epidsode Two. Hayden has lost track of his son so he's off home to track him down. I head back to the office to grab my MacBook to show Trav. Frase turns up there with a quick feed of nachos and a newspaper. We head down to a now cranking Vic. Louie B is out the front doing accoustic Smashing Pumpkins and Floyd. Frase and I have a yarn with him and he tells me he can't tell us apart (we're twins). It has happened before Louie! He tells us about a biker gig he's got in Westport. Gotta love it. Trav takes a minute away from the bar and we show him the show. Another winner.
We quickly head down to the Oyster to show a very busy Nick the podcast. He takes a look in between serving customers. The punters there love it, though they can't hear a thing. We head back to the Vic via a really hot Stingray to wait for Hayden who never shows. So it was back home by about 10 I think... Not much of a night but there you go.